It’s good to hear he is finally being treated as the criminal he is. It was a good day–the day that Donald Trump was finally hauled in front of a judge and called into account for one of the numerous wrongs he has committed in the name of gaining and holding onto power. And, for the record, I do not think that hush money payments are in any way a trifling matter. However unlikely, it might have changed the direction of the campaign. Even if it wouldn’t have, there is a principle at stake. Trump succeeded in doing something that helped him lie his way into the White House. But as soon as I say that, I have to say that illegal record keeping about an affair with a pron star is not enough. God help us, let this be the beginning not the end.
I admire Alvin Bragg for sticking to his guns in the face of all the pressure he is receiving. I think that there is little more he could be doing under the circumstances. If no other good comes out of his investigation, maybe the Republicans will show their true colors when they try to grill him. Maybe it will become apparent how little respect they have for the fact that it isn’t their place to interfere. But Bragg doesn’t have enough evidence to really make a dent in the movement Trump spawned. Even if he does take Trump down, “MAGA” Republicans remain.
Bragg can change the political calculus surrounding Trump. But that doesn’t do much good for those of us who care about democracy. What we need is a way to get at Trumpism, and that is going to take something more than improper bookkeeping and an adult film star. What is needed is a way to go after Trumpism, and the way to get to Trumpism is through the Big Lie. That means all roads lead to Georgia or the Justice Department. The best possible outcome for the hush money investigation is that it creates a momentum which propels other investigations forward.
It is important to not get lost in hating Trump and not see the big picture. Trump is a man. But he represents a movement, and it is that movement that is truly dangerous; that movement is the real threat that the nation and the world faces. It will not go away when Trump does. It will change form; it will find a new person. In many ways, Ron DeSantis is far more dangerous to American democracy than is Trump, because he represents the same movement with the same dangerous ideas without the baggage of hush money and porn stars and the absolutely politically idiotic mishandling of classified documents. Trump’s indictment may indeed be welcome, but it says little about what will be needed for the fight ahead against his movement and ideas. Those who care about democracy must not rest. This indictment is the beginning of the struggle, not the end.
Progressive Without Apology 